Obama Commutes 214 Prison Sentences, Most in at Least 116 Years

By Justin Sink, Bloomberg News

President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 214 prisoners on Wednesday, the most people he has ordered released at one time in his presidency, as the White House accelerates its clemency efforts for nonviolent drug offenders in the twilight of Obama’s term.

Obama has now shortened the sentences of 562 individuals during his presidency, more than the previous nine presidents combined. Wednesday’s commutations are the most in a single act since at least 1900, the White House said. The group includes 67 people serving life sentences.

“That being said, our work is far from finished,” ...